Top Three Benefits of Using Carbon Fiber To Build Robots

The Society of Robots reports that carbon fiber has become an essential material for robots now and in the future, because it is very strong in compression and tension while being exceptionally lightweight. Robotic components, particularly , can be fabricated into any size or shape with the benefit being:

Reduced weight

Increased part stiffness

Improved automation processes

Industrial automations’ increased speed and greater precision is vital for improved efficiency, and one way to achieve this is through reduced weight and increased stiffness of robotic parts. The benefits of carbon fiber, as explained here by Antonio Gervosi, from CarboSix, translate directly to:

Increased speed on the production line

Higher precision

Reduced motor and actuator loads

Improved reliability

Carbon Fiber Saves Money!

In addition to the
above benefits, companies can reduce operating costs by using carbon
fiber extrusion, for example, as the support system for their end
of arm tooling.
If a company has a robot capable of lifting 100 kg, their end of
arm tooling might take up half of that weight capacity, and the other
half would be the object that the robot is trying to move or
manipulate. By means of carbon
fiber extrusion, companies using industrial robots and cobots,
smaller robots that work alongside human workers, could reduce the
weight of the end of arm tooling. Using carbon fiber in robotic
components, offers the potential for manufacturing companies to
significantly reduce their cost of doing business. These combined
benefits contributed to the exclusive partnership between
Framing Tech and CarboSix.

CarboSix
created
carbon
fiber profiles utilizing the combined use of new breakthrough
technology called Pultrusion
and Pullwinding.
This
produces a significantly stronger tube than other carbon fiber tubes,
which are created by wrapping a carbon fiber sheet around a rod to
create the final shape. These innovative tubes are
easily integrated into an existing design or structure due to the
versatility of the T-slot,
a
unique feature provided by Framing Tech.

Framing
Tech sells aluminum and carbon fiber extrusions, as well as related
assembly hardware, directly to end users like FANUC
America Corporation – the leading supplier of robots, CNC systems and
factory automation.

FANUC’s Robodrill
boasts an
unbeatable tool change time of 0.7 seconds and a turret capable of
handling tools weighing 4 kg. Their new advanced version is both the
fastest and strongest vertical machining center on the market.

Framing Tech’s dedication to end users and its commitment to offering a wide variety of custom workplace solutions drove their strategic decision to partner with CarboSix over other manufacturers of carbon fiber.

Why is CarboSix unique?

CarboSix is the world’s only modular profile in carbon fiber, offering these carbon fiber advantages:

Structural modularity of aluminum and same processing, from cutting to perforation

Accessories like aluminum and identical installation and fastening systems

High dimensional precision (narrow tolerance range)

Certified mechanical properties

In stock in 6-meter bars

Carbon Fiber is the Future

Carbon Fiber could be used to support stadium roofs

In dezeen magazine, Achim Menges – architect, professor and the director of the Institute for Computational Design at Stuttgart University – posited that robots could be programmed to build stadium roofs using carbon fiber. The fibrous building material is in the early stages of contributing to the evolution of how things are made. According to Menges, “It’s a pretty dramatic shift, a kind of fourth industrial revolution. In addition to robotic parts, the full possibilities of carbon fiber profiles in construction are still yet to be revealed.”

The low-weight, high-strength and cost-efficient properties of carbon fiber will impact the robotics and design industry exponentially. Framing Technology’s partnership with CarboSix positions it to be a leading world innovator.